Let True Love Prevail
by fangirlmum4ever
Summary: Everyone is back in Storybrooke, and Emma is ready to start a new chapter in her life. Things are moving along splendidly for the sheriff of the town and a certain (former) pirate, until a tragic turn of events brings new fears and old enemies to the sleepy little town. DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of this incredibly awesome show. Some angst, but always CS!
1. Chapter 1

Emma felt the first warm rays of the sun move their way across her pillow and slowly drifted to a conscious state. She smiled to herself, luxuriating in the peaceful stillness that she had come to appreciate so well after arriving back from Neverland. It was a little over a month ago that the ragtag group of triumphant heroes returned to the sleepy Maine town with Henry – and a few unexpected others - in tow. Within that month, David and Mary Margaret moved to their own home and left the Loft to Emma, happy to have each other healthy, safe and sound (thanks to Rumplestiltskin's healing elixir); Regina and Emma had come to a fair agreement as to how to "share" their son; Neal had accepted Emma's avowal of moving on from him (not without a little protesting, but the presence of Tinkerbell in Storybrooke seemed to be helping him "cope"); and Emma, well… Emma had made her choice, to the surprise of no one.

Emma opened her eyes to glance at the clock on her nightstand, and then jumped out of bed. Crap! She had slept longer than she had meant to; she was supposed to be at Granny's diner for a breakfast date, and she only had half an hour to shower, dress and drive over. She strode into her bathroom and turned on the water as she stepped in, gritting her teeth against the icy blast, and waiting for the temperature to adjust to her liking. Emma hurriedly shampooed her hair with her (now) favorite coconut scented shampoo, and conditioned it, impatiently scrubbing to rinse it all out properly. She wouldn't have time to dry and curl her hair as she had planned, but it WAS only breakfast….

She stepped out of the shower chuckling to herself. She knew very well that it was never "only" breakfast, or "ONLY" coffee, or "ONLY" whatever excuse Killian had contrived to meet up with her. She brushed her teeth and quickly dressed in her black jeans and favorite black shirt (when had black become her favorite color!?) and grabbed her boots to run out the door, she paused long enough to check her reflection in the mirror. She still marveled at the new look of hope and happiness reflected in her eyes now; a look that even 5 weeks ago she would have never thought possible.

As Emma closed the door and locked it, she felt rather than heard someone behind her, watching. She frowned, turning quickly, her survival instincts immediately setting in. Her face cleared, breaking into a surprised smile as she took in the waiting figure of her suitor – Killian Jones. Her breath hitched a little as he stood up, coming toward her to lift her hand to his lips, never taking his eyes from hers.  
"Hey," she murmured as he pulled her closer to embrace her warmly, "I thought you said to meet you at Granny's. I'm not THAT late, am I?"

"No, love, not at all. I just decided that I couldn't wait to see you, and I thought it would more pleasant to drive over with you," Killian's blue eyes twinkled mischievously down at her. She had been teaching him to drive over the past week, and he was an apt pupil, eager to learn the ways of their world. He was fascinated by all the modern technology; particularly by the motorized vehicles. He was not, however, keen on the television; it gave him headaches, he claimed. Emma privately thought that he didn't care for watching TV because as she was finding out, Killian Jones was not one to sit around mindlessly. Fine with her; she wasn't much for sitting in front of the TV, either. She found that she would much rather be doing other things with her time, especially if it involved him.

Emma was beginning to find out many surprising things about herself that she never knew before; Killian was definitely having an impact on her. Emma had discovered a love of cooking, for one thing. It was something she had rarely bothered to give much thought to before coming to Storybrooke and having her life turned upside down. Now, however, between having a son to take care of and having a stable and very secure relationship developing, Emma was beginning to feel almost domestic.

As they reached the yellow bug, Killian, ever the gentleman, opened the driver's side door for her with a slight bow and a "Mi'lady." His devilishly charming smile letting her know that he was very aware of the effect he had on her. "Thank you," she returned, almost primly, ducking her head shyly. Part of her still could not get used to the feeling of being treated like she was such a treasure, though she WAS warming up to it. She had actually considered asking him to move in with her when David and Mary Margaret had moved out, but Killian made it clear that he would court her "properly", as he put it. Emma found that she rather liked this idea; it made her feel… special.

As Killian rounded the front of the car to get into the passenger side, two things happened simultaneously that would be seared on Emma's mind for a very long time: She watched Hook glance up sharply with a frown on his face, immediately followed by the sound of a gunshot being fired.

Killian was down. Emma screamed.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to all those who have read and reviewed!

**Chapter 2**

Emma, heart in her throat, fumbled with her cell phone to call 911 while she threw open the door of her car and jumped out to run to where Killian lay on the street, eyes closed, and blood seeping out from underneath him. Blinded by tears and hampered by hands that would not stop shaking, it took Emma four tries before she could enter the number in her phone. As soon as someone picked it up Emma screamed into the phone "Please, please, there's been a shooting– I need an ambulance!" She gave the address of the street where the loft was situated, crying "please hurry!" before throwing the phone down and turning her full attention to the man whose head she now had cradled in her lap.

She impatiently pushed his coat open to see if she could see where he had been hit. A large stain was steadily growing over his left shoulder and down the front of his shirt.  
"Hold on," she whispered fiercely, running her hand through his hair. "Don't you leave me, Killian Jones, you hear me?" her voice broke, and she grimaced, trying to regain control of herself as she heard the approaching sirens.

Emma was torn between staying and looking for the perpetrator or riding in the ambulance with Killian. It was a split second decision, but she quickly called David to the scene as she climbed into the waiting vehicle. She was in no condition to give her full attention to searching for clues, and she knew in that moment that if she did find the person who did this, her first instinct would probably be to shoot him.  
It seemed like an eternity to Emma before they reached the hospital, especially since Killian's face was chalky grey and his breathing was so shallow. As they rushed him into the waiting operating room, Emma was forced to stay behind. The nurse on duty, someone Emma didn't know, touched her shoulder in sympathy, saying "it's okay; he'll be in good hands. You'll have to wait out here, though."

As she sank down helplessly into a chair in the lounge, Mary Margaret rushed in. "Oh Emma! David called me and told me that Hook's been _shot? _What happened?" she crouched down in front of her daughter and took hold of Emma's hands in her own. "Sweetie? What happened?" She repeated softly. "Do you have any idea at all who would do this? Hook – I mean Killian," she hastily amended as Emma shot her an antagonized look. "He doesn't have any enemies here; none at all, that I can think of," she trailed off. Emma raised her head, looking at the ceiling while trying to fight back the tears that threatened to spill over yet again. "I don't know, Mom," she whispered, unaware that she had slipped back into addressing the hovering brunette in a familial way; something she only did under extreme duress, or when she was teasing.  
"It just happened so fast. I didn't even get a chance to see where the shot came from, exactly, never mind who fired the gun." Emma grimaced. "Some Sheriff, huh?"  
"Oh honey, it's totally understandable! You're too close to this situation, anyway. You wouldn't be able to properly focus –"She broke off as Emma glared at her and snarled, "that is EXACTLY why I need to find out who did this! I can't just sit around and do_ nothing _while….while…" Emma couldn't continue as the tears began to flow and she sobbed. "_I can't lose him. I just can't." _

After all they had gone through in Dark Hollow, and then again in New York, Emma knew that her feelings for Killian were far stronger than what she had ever thought she was capable of. Killian Jones had broken down all her barriers, gained her trust, her faith, and her love. She, who had been abandoned so many times by people she loved, could not take any more. She stood up and promptly fainted right into her mother's arms, welcoming the darkness that blanketed her shattering heart.


	3. Chapter 3

**-Chapter 3-**

She felt like she was floating; that was the first sensation Emma became conscious of. Not floating, exactly, more like….drifting slowly, like being on a boat. Or a ship. Ship. Pirate…_**Hook. **_She frowned inwardly; NO…._Killian_, not Hook.

Emma gasped and sat up quickly, or rather tried to sit up, only to find she had been restrained, unable to lift her arms or legs from the bed. "WHAT THE HELL?!" She screamed, eyes frantically searching to gain her bearings as to where she was. The door of the room she was in was pushed open and a nurse flew in, with Emma's parents right behind her, the concern clear on their faces. "Shh…. Shh, Emma…" her mother began, as the nurse quickly went round the side of the bed to check the IV attached to Emma's arm.

"NO! Don't SHUSH me; somebody needs to explain what the HELL is going on here!" Tears of frustration began building up and threatened to spill over. Emma strained against the straps on her arms. "Are these NECESSARY? REALLY?" She dropped back onto the pillow, momentarily defeated. "You were hysterical and almost uncontrollable the first time you awoke," the nurse informed her. "So, yes, for your own safety, they were necessary. If you think you can calm down this time, I'm sure the doctor will let us take them off."

"The first time I awoke? Wait," Emma frowned, "what do you mean? What time is it? How long have I been-_ Killian_! Oh GOD!" Without warning, the memories came flooding back. The gun shot, the look of surprise turned to horror on Killian's face, the screaming. Emma gasped, the tears now flowing freely. David, who had up to this point been standing behind his wife with his hand fisted nervously in front of his mouth, spoke up. "Emma, honey, you need to calm down, first, and then we can fill you in on everything." Emma turned a tear streaked face up to her father. "Please, please tell me he's alive. That he's not…." She broke off, unable to finish speaking. "Oh he's still alive, the surgery went well." He reassured her. But Emma didn't miss the quick glance that passed between her parents before David spoke.

Before Emma could question them any further, the nurse interjected, "Ms. Swan, I do need to check your vitals, but would you like a few minutes with your…your parents first?" she glanced at the young couple standing by the bed, clearly confused. "Yeah, that'd be nice," Emma barely acknowledged the nurse, her eyes never leaving her father's face. "Alright, I'll check back in a few minutes. In the meantime, if you need anything, just pull the call button." The nurse turned and left quickly, wisely not uttering a word about the peculiar family relations.

"Emma, how much do you remember?" Mary Margaret asked softly. "Do you know how long you've been here?" She gingerly sat at the edge of the bed and took her daughter's hand carefully in hers, testing Emma's reaction.

Emma stared helplessly at the concerned brunette. "I don't know, a couple of hours, maybe? Can you please explain_ this_ to me?" She jerked her arm impatiently.

"Emma, just listen for a minute, okay?" David tried again. "Actually, you've been here for almost two whole days now,"

"WHAT?" Emma tried to sit up again, forgetting her restraints. "WAIT," David commanded in a firm, no-nonsense voice. "If you want to be able to get up and see Hook-"

"KILLIAN" Emma and Mary Margaret corrected in unison.  
"Killian", he amended. "-you need to co-operate, Emma." David continued. "You fainted. The doctors say it was brought on by stress. The only thing is that when you first came to-" "You pretty much LOST it," Mary Margaret finished. "Hence, the restraints."  
"Wow. Okay…" Emma looked down self-consciously. She drew in a shaky breath. "Look, I'm sorry, just please tell me what's going on. I saw that look between you two," she said accusingly. "I know you're not telling me something. What is it?"

Mary Margaret glanced at her husband, clearly troubled. He nodded slightly in understanding, and then said, "Emma, he did make it through the surgery, but he's not waking up. He's in a coma, and the doctors don't know why."

Emma's face drained of all color and she seemed to freeze before turning her face to the wall, away from her parents.  
"Emma," her mother began. "Don't worry. We think that we know what the problem is." She waited for a response from her daughter, and when none was forthcoming, she continued, glancing worriedly at David. "We, that is your father and I, are very confident that all it will take to wake Killian is True Love's Kiss." She smiled, sure that this news would have Emma leaping from the bed. When yet again there was no response from Emma, she frowned slightly, and repeated "Emma? Emma, honey? Did you hear me? All you need to do is KISS him. We're SURE that's all it will take!"  
Emma turned slightly to glare coldly at her mother and said one word. "No."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"No? NO? What do you mean, 'no?'" Mary Margaret sputtered, cocking her head in confusion at Emma. She leaned in and tried again. "Emma, sweetie! Listen! It's EASY; you've seen it done-"

"LOOK," Emma interrupted, glaring up at her mother. "What part of 'no' are you having trouble understanding? I am NOT going to do it. Why? To only find out that it doesn't work for me?" She barked out a harsh laugh. "Maybe that crap works for the people that come from _Fairy Tale Land_, but from where I come from, there's NO SUCH THING." She turned back to stare stonily at the wall away from her concerned parents.

Mary Margaret sat back abruptly as though she had been slapped. "Emma, you've SEEN it work. And I've SEEN the way you and Killian look at each other, the way you are together! YOU are the product of True Love! HOW can you even SAY that you doubt in it?!" She stole a glance at David, uncertain how to deal with this surprising response.

"Emma," he started, "I understand that you're scared, but-"

"Just. Leave. PLEASE." Emma could barely choke out. "Leave me alone."

David started to speak again, but his wife's hand on his arm caused him to pause. She signalled to him silently with a jerk of her head to follow her out. David took one last look at his daughter lying motionless in the bed before him and sighed.

"Okay, for now. But we'll be back. I promise." He patted her awkwardly on the shoulder and turned to follow Mary Margaret into the hall, almost missing the bitter whisper of "everyone makes promises. And they always get broken."

Understanding dawned on his face and as soon as they were outside Emma's room he voiced his thoughts.

"I know what the problem is," David started. "She's so used to being abandoned and let down, that she's just chalking this up to the same old thing happening to her again."

"But that's not fair!" Mary Margaret argued. "This isn't the same at all! Hook is the one person who has proved time and time again that he'll never let her down! How can she do this? David, you've seen the way they look at each other, and as much as we've not wanted to admit it, they LOVE each other. Anyone can see that!"

"Mary Margaret…_SNOW_, we know about True Love, but Emma's right, in a way," he sighed. "She's been hurt so many times in her life; it's easy to see why she's shutting down. Hook – _Killian_"- he corrected, "was working hard to break down those walls that she has spent a life time building up. And just as she starts to let her guard down, to care about him, something happens, and she feels like she's just been abandoned. Again."

"So what do we do? Do we just let her GIVE UP?" Mary Margaret regarded her husband earnestly. "I feel like if we let her continue like this, she'll just shut down completely!"

David gazed at his wife sadly. "I think we may be too late. She's already done just that."

Author's Note: I know that each chapter has ended in a bit of a cliff-hanger; don't worry. All will be resolved soon! Thank you for any follows/reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

** It looks like no one has been able to convince Emma that she needs to trust in True Love. Will Regina be the person to accomplish this?**

**Chapter 5**

Mary Margaret sat huddled in a back booth of Granny's diner, staring unseeing out the window, her hands wrapped around a half empty cup of coffee. So absorbed was she on the thoughts going through her head, she failed to notice the diner door aggressively pushed open, and the offending person head right to her table.

"Excuse me," Regina demanded, "can you please explain to me WHY your daughter is still moping around in a hospital bed?"

Mary Margaret, startled out of her reverie, looked up in surprise, then annoyance at the interruption.

"Well hello to you, too, Regina," she retorted. "Explain to _ME _what business it is of yours?"

Regina arched one flawless eyebrow at her and replied coolly, "not that I particularly care about the state of mind of the so-called _savior _of our town, but when it starts to affect my son, then YES, it IS my business."

"Henry? What do you mean? He's alright, isn't he?" Mary Margaret flushed, embarrassed to suddenly realize that she had been so focussed on Emma, she hadn't even thought about how Henry was dealing with the situation. She knew he was staying with Regina for the week, and she knew that Emma was refusing all visitors, but she had never considered if that ban had included Henry. She closed her eyes briefly, and then said, "Oh, Regina. I'm SO sorry. Of course Henry's worried about Emma. Has he been able to see her?"

"No. Well, once, but she certainly wasn't in an entertaining mood." Regina slid into the booth uninvited to sit across from her former adversary. "Henry is really beginning to worry about Emma, and it's affecting him at home and at school. This is why I'm coming to you. I would like some answers, please."  
She crossed her arms and gazed intently at Mary Margaret. "I need to know what the problem is. I understand that it has something to do with Hook still being in a coma, correct?"

"Pretty much," Mary Margaret answered. "And the doctors have done all they can for him. He just won't wake up. There is no medical reason. It's almost like… he's just waiting."

"Waiting for, what, exactly?" Regina smirked. "True love's kiss to wake him up?" When the pixie haired woman across from her simply stared at her in response, Regina shook her head in disbelief.

"Well then, what's the problem? Emma is perfectly capable of walking. Why doesn't she just go in and _kiss_ him, already? _Everyone _knows that they are… they're…" She grimaced in distaste, "true love."

"Well everyone except for Emma," Mary Margaret re-joined. "For some reason, she has it in her head that she is just not meant to be happy, so she's not even willing to try anymore."

Regina stared, exasperated. "REALLY? Have you TRIED talking some sense into her? I mean, it makes no difference to ME if she's happy or not, but for Henry's sake, I need her to be something other than a zombie when he's with her."

"Of COURSE I've talked to her! And so has David, and the dwarves, and even Tinkerbell tried! NO one is getting through to her!" Mary Margaret cried out in frustration. "She has been hurt SO much, Regina, she's given up. I thought she had snapped out of it after the whole thing with Henry and Pan and the curse, but it's like talking to a brick wall right now. It's like she's…. regressed, emotionally, somehow. I just don't know how to help her," she finished sadly.

Regina stared thoughtfully for a moment, then stood up abruptly and said, "Fine. It looks like I'll just have to handle THIS, too." With that, the queen turned on her heel and marched out of the diner, leaving a stunned Mary Margaret wondering what had just happened.


End file.
